The Birth of Punk Rock

6th November 1975

On this day, the Sex Pistols made their live debut in the top-floor common room of Saint Martin’s School of Art, playing before an audience of 20-40 people as the support band to Bazooka Joe. Their exhibition, which consisted of covers of the Who, The Small Faces, and the Monkees was raw, unpolished and extremely loud, and after only twenty minutes, someone pulled the plug on the amplification. The lead singer, Johnny Rotten, responded by launching a physical attack on the PA system that Bazooka Joe had courteously lent them, and a brief skirmish broke out. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, the Sex Pistols became culturally influential in popular music, initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom, with their clothes and hairstyles becoming a significant influence on the punk subculture and fashion. In 2006, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame although, true to their image, they refused to attend the ceremony.

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Author: Tony

Born and raised in Malaysia between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Educated at Wycliffe College in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England. Living in the foothills of Mount Etna since 1982 and teaching English at Catania University since 1987.

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